Seige of Ba Sing Se
by Moira-girl
Summary: This has a lot of pairings in it on accident if you look closly you'll see Zuko x Mai Zuko x Katara Ty Lee x Aang Katara x Aang and Toph x Aang even though I only support Zuko x Katara, Toph x Aang, and Sokka x Ty Lee. It was origionally not supposed to


_**Author's Note:**_

This is before the season 2 finally. I started this and pretty much had it finished before I saw the finally so this is totally what I wanted to happen (I did use some of the stuff I saw in trailers). In case you don't remember at this point in the story Aang is at the Eastern Air temple learning from Guru Pa Ti, Sokka's with his father, Toph's captured by Xin Fu and Yu, Katara is in the palace, and Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are impersonating Kioshi warriors.

_**Katara…**_

Katara sighed as she gazed into the water in the fountain. She slowly swirled the water and roughly drew people's faces in the water, Gran Gran, Sokka, Father, Mother, Toph, Aang, and she caught herself drawing Zuko. She made a face wondering what had made her dram him. She quickly got rid of all the faces and laid down on the short wall around the fountain that she'd been sitting on. With one knee up and the other straight she crossed her arms behind her head. She began to wonder just how long Suki and the other warriors planned on resting, they'd come in a day ago and still she wasn't allowed to see them. She guessed they'd met up with someone from the fire nation and were just tiered. Sighing Katara flipped herself off the ledge and onto the path. She shook her head and looked around.

"Miss Katara would you like something to eat?" asked a server girl. Apparently it was already lunch time.

"No, I'll be taking care of that," answered Katara vaguely as she walked off to her room.

"Yes, Miss Katara there will be food available in the dining hall if you change your mind," answered the server with a short bow before she turned and walked dignified, back to the kitchen.

Katara grabbed a money bag of a chair in her room and left for the market. When she came to the gate the guards eyed her suspiciously. Katara looked up at the two Di Lee agents and the four soldiers guarding the gate.

"I'm going to the market and I demand exit," declared Katara in a loud authoritative voice when the guards stared at her dumbly for a moment.

"Yes, of course Ambassador," replied one of the soldiers as two of the soldiers opened the gate with earth bending.

As Katara left the gate and the gate was closed behind her one of the soldier guards jumped down from the top of the wall and used his earth bending to land safely at her side.

"Yes, what is it?" asked Katara already knowing what the answer would be.

"Ambassador Katara, I am to be your body guard while you travel in the city," answered the guard standing straight.

"I do not need a body guard," answered Katara annoyed.

"It is my pleasure, as I serve the Earth King, for he ordered you to be protected as long as you are beyond the castle walls," replied the guard.

"Oh, is that so?" asked Katara annoyed, "Listen, I am quite capable of taking care of myself! I am a very accomplished water bender and I do NOT need a babysitter! So, if you honestly think you can actually keep up with me, and I'd love to see you try, then just try to!" shouted Katara as she ran off to disappear in the crowd.

The poor guard never had a chance. He stared after Katara stunned for a moment before he tried to fallow her. His attempts lasted for a few minutes, before he gave up and returned to his post hoping that the blame wouldn't be pinned on him if something happened.

Once Katara was satisfied that she'd lost her body guard she angrily entered a tea shop. When she looked around it seemed oddly familiar. She sat at a chair, alone, in the corner of the restaurant, near a window and propped a foot on a chair next to her, a foot that she quickly removed as soon as she noticed how Toph like that behavior was. She sat impatiently waiting for the server.

**_Zuko and Iroh…_**

"Uncle, look at that corner over there," whispered Zuko franticly nodding a head in Katara's direction.

Iroh looked up and noticed Katara and got back to making tea.

"That's very nice Lee tell Lilly to take that table," mumbled Iroh distractedly as he carefully added the ingredients to his tea.

Zuko nodded and called over there hired waiter and informed her that there was a customer in one of her table. Lilly quickly nodded and scurried off mumbling about her shift being almost over and why Lee thought he could order her around. Zuko sighed and watched the intercourse. What he saw surprised him.

_**Katara…**_

"Hello Ma'am may I take your order?" asked Lilly.

"Yes, took you long enough, I'll take whatever tea is supposed to be the best and…moon cakes…three of them," snapped Katara.

"Is that all ma'am?" asked the girl.

"No," answered Katara sarcastically, "Of course that's all! If I had anymore to order of course I'd inform you immediately. Now hurry up I don't have all day!" snapped Katara sending Lilly scurrying back to the kitchen as Katara slumped farther down into her chair. Her boredom as _Ambassador_ Katara, and her frustration with everyone trying to baby her had converted into angry which had all been transferred onto the poor unsuspecting Lilly.

**_Zuko…_**

As Lilly walked passed Zuko she whispered, "Thanks for giving me THAT customer! Last of my shift too! Thanks a lot." Zuko shrugged a little as Lilly brushed past him. He quickly got to work on the moon cakes as Lilly's replacement came in. Zuko looked out the window and saw his replacement coming. He quickly finished the cakes and told his uncle he'd actually take his break this time. Iroh was still distracted by his tea and nodded a good bye as Zuko walked out the back door.

Zuko leaned against the wall outside the tea shop just out of sight of anyone leaving the tea shop but right next to a window from which he could hear Katara. He listened as she rudely finished her small lunch and finally got up and left. Zuko was surprised at how rude she really was. She'd come across as sensitive, after all he was pretty sure she could heal and his uncle had told him it was incredibly difficult to attain that level of bending and impossible to get to that level without a calm mind. When Katara finally left Zuko followed her, while staying out of sight. Zuko wasn't entirely sure why he was following Katara. He knew that he wasn't going after the avatar anymore but he was still curious about why she was still in Ba Sing Se and why she was in such a bad mood.

_**Katara…**_

Katara walked down the road following the directions that she'd received from her personal server that came to her room to check if there was anything she needed. Katara reached the large double doors that marked the house that her server had informed her was the Bay Fong's Ba Sing Se residence. Katara took a deep breath and knocked on the door…

After a few moments no one answered the door so Katara knocked again and still there was no answer so she did the only 'sensible' thing and went ahead and opened the door. As soon as she had the door open enough she was greeted with a small bolder in her stomach that through her against the wall behind her. She quickly got up and whipped some water out of a barrel by a near by house.

"Well, well, Katara, or should I say _Ambassador _Katara," sneered Xin Fu, as Katara jumped to her feat.

"Be quiet we don't want to attract the attention of all of Ba Sing Se," mumbled Yu coming out of the house as well. It was obvious that he had been for a more peaceful greeting and Xin Fu had acted on his own.

Katara gritted her teeth. "What did you do to Toph? It couldn't have been anything remotely honorable because she's beaten you many times honorably," smirked Katara preparing to fight.

"Honorable is over rated," replied Xin Fu as he sent another cheap shot bolder at Katara, this bolder was easily broken in half by Katara. Katara easily kept both Xin Fu and Yu at bay but she was unable to advance.

_**Zuko…**_

Zuko was shocked when the bolder shot Katara across a small street into a wall. He was even more shocked when he saw that it was the two men who had tried to capture himself and his uncle. He realized that the girl that they were searching for was someone named Toph. Zuko thought for a moment and decided that Toph was probably the earth bending girl he'd seen with the avatar. He had no idea why but he suddenly had an urge to help. After all, this girl had only helped him in the past and he did owe the avatar and his friends for all the trouble he'd caused them. Quietly Zuko snuck around to a back entrance to the house, still not believing that he was entering a trap for the avatar set by someone who would recognize, and capture him and his uncle, just to save one of the avatar's friends. Taking a deep breath he entered the back door…

Zuko braced himself for a bolder but it never came. Tentatively Zuko stepped into the house and looked around. There was no one there. He realized that the two men who were fighting Katara may be the only guards. Keeping his guard up he went to look for the room that would be best for keeping a powerful earth bender. He soon found it. A room, possibly a ball room, with high ceilings hang in the center of the room, just off the floor, was a cage like fixture only large enough for a grown person to stand in. Zuko heard snoring coming from the cage and rushed over to it. When he looked in his suspicion was confirmed. It was the earth bender girl.

"Toph," he said quietly but loud enough to wake her.

"What? Who's there? What do you want now?" asked the small girl who could lie down in the cage.

"I'm here to help you out," replied Zuko much more quietly then Toph.

"I don't need anyone's help," replied Toph standing up and folding her arms and quickly unfolding them to catch her balance when the cage swung on its chain.

"Yah, I'm sure you don't," replied Zuko slightly amused, "but I probably should help you out of here anyway. After all it's the polite thing to do."

"Hey, you're the tea man's nephew aren't you?" asked Toph recognizing Zuko's voice.

Zuko was completely confused as to why one of the avatar's friends would only know his uncle as the tea man but he was pretty sure she had the right person. "Yes, now do you know how to get this open?" asked Zuko.

"If I knew how to open it I would have opened it by now," answered Toph Sarcastically.

After about five minutes Zuko finally got the cage open and Toph dropped to the ground below. "Finally I can see again!" said Toph loudly as she dug her hands and feat into the ground. Then she frowned as she felt Katara's fight.

"Is Katara fighting Xin Fu and Yu in front of the house? She doesn't know you're here does she?" asked Toph.

"No, and you better go tell her that your ok," answered Zuko as he prepared to go away.

"Wait," said Toph causing Zuko to turn around curiously, "You have to come too. _It's only polite,_" Toph mocked Zuko's reason for helping her. Before Zuko could answer Toph grabbed his wrist and dragged him out the back door and told him to wait behind a corner while she went and got Katara.

Zuko thought about running and going back to the shop and leaving the avatar's friends alone, but for some reason he wanted to know what was going to happen next and a little voice in the back of his head told him he wanted Katara to know he wasn't all bad. He wonders why he cared what Katara thought but decided to go with it.

_**Katara…**_

Katara fought the two earth benders dodging and deflecting many cheap shots (most cheap shots came from Xin Fu). Katara continually tried to enter the house but every time she got close she was dragged back to were she started. Just as she thought she would have to try a different tactic two hands stuck out of the earth at her feat and pulled her under ground by her ankles.

Katara looked around in surprise, "Who's there?" asked Katara tentatively.

"Shut up sugar queen," was the only reply Katara got but it was good enough.

"Toph!?! What are you doing? Where have you been? How did you get out? Did they get you? How?" asked Katara.

Instead of answers Katara got dragged down a shot tunnel before Toph brought her up and she was face to face with Zuko.

Totally confused Katara just stared at Zuko for a moment the turned on both him and Toph.

"What the heck is going on?!" shouted Katara, both Zuko and Toph flinched when they heard Xin Fu and Yu start coming at the sound of Katara's shouts.

"Katara! Shut up!" Toph shouted back causing Zuko to roll his eyes because the two bounty hunters had begun running in there direction.

"Hey there you are!" shouted Xin Fu as he rounded the corner just before his eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of Zuko, "you?" he asked in momentary shock that quickly passed. Yu came panting around the corner and saw the three eyes widening at the sight of Zuko. They both smiled.

"Our lucky day," they both said in unison.

Katara glanced around and saw one of the many decorative streams running through the upper ring and used the water to pin Yu and Xin Fu to a wall. Unfortunately it only took them a few minutes to earth bend the wall and break the ice. Katara, Toph, and Zuko ran, taking advantage of the few seconds bought by Katara.

"Great job Sugar Queen!" shouted Toph sarcastically from behind Katara while she dragged Zuko along by the wrist, "That lasted long. There already out and after us!"

It took all of Katara's self restraint not to take her water and smack Toph across the face. Zuko noticed that Katara's patients were wearing thin, and decide to zip his lip and just follow; after all it had been his idea to help out.

Toph let go of Zuko's wrist and took the lead. Zuko and Katara were chasing after Toph. She led the way down the streets. The three running benders had to knock many people out of there way as they went but they didn't think that they broke anything. Finally they reached the wall of the palace and Toph opened a small servant's door with her earth bending.

"You know you really aren't supposed to do that," pointed out a soldier guard one of the two guards of the door (the other one was a Di Lee) lamely, "I was about to open it."

"But I opened it so get over," grumbled Toph as she entered dragging Zuko in after while Katara followed, in a very bad mood.

Once they were out of earshot of the guards Toph put her hand on the ground for a moment, "They've stopped…they know they can't get in the wall…we're good," assessed Toph without being asked.

_**Azula (from the beginning until now)…**_

"Well ladies, welcome to the Great City of Ba Sing Se, tightest security in the _entire_ Earth Kingdom," announced Azula to Mai and Ty Lee, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ty Lee giggled at Azula's act, and Mai silently groaned and rolled her eyes. The three girls had been in Ba Sing Se for a day and already Azula was quickly gaining power and had found a possible ally already established with in the city. Ty Lee had found something interesting everywhere she looked and had wanted to check out the zoo until Azula forbade leaving the palace walls. Mai, on the other hand, was as bored as ever. She checked all of her weapons and their rigs until she was worried she might cause a glitch.

"When are we going to do something? This is so boring," asked Mai, she was the only person who dared complain to Azula and even more amazingly the only person who's wining Azula would tolerate.

"Why, don't we go see that girl that the servant told us was waiting to see us?" asked Ty Lee cheerfully even though so far every single one of her suggestions had been shot down.

"No, that girl is the avatar's friend. She may recognize us. She'll definitely know that we aren't the people we're impersonating," answered Azula sharply, Ty Lee only shrugged and continued her stretching exercises.

Azula looked out her window and watched Katara leave the palace after yelling at the guards. She continued to watch until the guard dispatched to be her body guard had returned. Azula had started using this as her cue to move freely within the palace.

"I'm going to go talk with our potential allies," Azula announced to Mai and Ty Lee, "wait here for me to return."

"What ever," sighed Mai dropping on her back on the bed, "It's not like there's anything to do here anyway."

"Oh, ok Azula," sighed Ty Lee looking longingly out the window. She longed to be free to do what she wanted. Sighing she joined Mai in slumping on her own bed.

Azula gave a satisfied smile. She had broken both girls' spirits very well. When she had first met them Mai had been strong willed and a wonderful fighter but only when she felt like it. Ty Lee was constantly in some high place she wasn't supposed to be in. She also was a skillful fighter but she never wanted to fight and rarely gave it her all. Azula had fixed Mai far more quickly then Ty Lee. It was difficult but slowly Azula was able to bottle Mai's spirit and hide it with in her _friend_. Ty Lee on the other hand was never affected by anything Azula did. Although Azula slowly noticed that Ty Lee was very good at following orders in loyalty. So Azula built up a loyalty between herself and the girl. By _acting_ loyal Azula had gained Ty Lee's _actual _loyalty. Once the loyalty had been established Azula was able to order Ty Lee to fight whether or not she wanted to and soon Ty Lee became numb to the pain she was causing.

Azula marched authoritatively through the halls. Soldiers parted to allow her to pass. Finally she reached her destination, a small office near the center of the palace. Azula stood in the room and counted to twenty then stomped her foot twice waited another count of twenty, and then stomped three times. Immediately after the third stomp a figure grew out of the floor, a Di Lee agent. Azula smiled.

"You wish to see Long Fang?" asked the shadow shrouded figure.

Azula merely nodded. She was motioned to a platform and as she stepped on it, it sank through the ground and she was transport many floors before they reached the destination. There sat Long Fang, in an elegant chair, to great Azula.

"Welcome," he said with an evil smile, "I hear you have something against Ba Sing Se and the avatar?"

"This is correct," replied Azula with an equally evil grin.

"Welcome to the Di Lee," answered Long Fang handing Azula three Di Lee uniforms for herself, Ty Lee, and Mai.

They both smiled at each other. Not the pleasant smile but a smile that said some horrendous plan had been put in action. As Azula rose on the platform she knew exactly how much new power she had.

"Ok, ladies, we have new identities," announced Azula as she entered the room with the uniforms she'd acquired, "we're being moved to a better, more prominent, room in the palace."

"Oh! New clothes!" squealed Ty Lee as she received her uniform from Azula.

"Oh, goodie," exclaimed Mai sarcastically, "please tell me these are less colorful."

Once Ty Lee and Mai were in there new clothes they moved to a room in their new room in the Di Lee wing of the palace. They were put in Long Fang's old room because, one, they were the only girls and it was the largest and most excluded room, and two, because it looked out on the entrances to the palace.

Just as they were settling in Azula glanced out the window and smiled evilly again. 'Perfect' she thought as she saw Toph Katara and Zuko walking across the courtyard towards the official's wing of the palace.

_**Katara, Toph, Zuko…**_

"Ok, what's going on!?" asked Katara close to shouting.

Toph was laying on her back on Katara's bed he feat gently pressed into the earth wall and her hands resting on the earth floor. Zuko was sitting on a chair next to Toph slumped and slightly out of breath still.

"Calm down Sugar Queen," mumbled Toph with out moving an inch.

"What are you talking about? Calm down! When on earth were you planning on telling us that your dad was so angry with you! When did you plan on telling us you actually ran away! I'd much preferred to hear it _BEFORE_ coming face to face with Xin Fu and Yu and having _them_ tell me!" shouted Katara at Toph.

"You didn't need to know," replied Toph impassively causing Katara to very much want to freeze her in an ice cube. Katara attempted to sooth her anger with deep breaths but it wasn't working to well. She scowled at Toph.

"And you!" she shouted turning unexpectedly to face Zuko, who was started and jumped in process nearly knocking over his chair with him in it, he ended up on scooting back about a foot, "How on earth did you get in Ba Sing Se!? What were you doing at the Bai Fong house!?"

"I…um…I came in…well…actually Lee came in…legally…and…um…we…well that is to say me and Uncle…we took the fairy… and…um…I was helping…I thought…um," he was at a loss of words after being startled by the water bender's out burst. He didn't really know why he'd decided to help Katara. A voice in the back of his head told him he just wanted to help Katara out.

"Chill Sugar Queen," mumbled Toph flipping around so her feet were on the floor and he back was slumped against the wall, "he helped me out while you were fighting Xin Fu and Yu."

"You…what? Why…but I mean…you're…why would you…?" now it was Katara's turn to be at a loss for words.

Toph rolled her eyes, "You are so stupid," Toph commented to Katara, who immediately turned a shade of red to put fire nation uniforms to shame. Toph ignored Katara racing heart beat that she recognized to be anger or embarrassment or both, "he," she pointed to Zuko, "helped me," she pointed at herself, "because you," she pointed at Katara, "were to busy being beaten by Xin Fu and Yu," completed Toph leaning back on the wall. Katara stared at Toph for a moment with rage on her face at the insult before she whipped her head around to face Zuko who shot back in his chair surprised.

"Is that true?" demanded Katara without screaming.

"Yah, pretty much," answered Zuko because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"How did you know where she was? How did you know I'd be there?" asked Katara.

"You know that tea shop you stopped in to get some lunch?" asked Zuko.

"Have you been stalking me?" asked Katara incredulously.

"No, I work there," explained Zuko, "actually it belongs to Uncle. He got it granted to him by some official who didn't want to have to come all the way down to the lower ring to get tea. Any way you came in right before shift switch and after I finished filling your order I was off the clock. I was wondering why you were in such a bad mood and why you were still in Ba Sing Se so I followed you…yah actually I guess you could say I was stalking you. Anyway when I saw that you had those two bounty hunters I went around back to get Toph."

"Still in Ba Sing Se? Bounty hunter? How do you know all this stuff?" asked Katara.

"Well, those two guys, you called them Xin Fu and Yu, tried to arrest Uncle and me because they saw my sisters wanted posters," explained Zuko.

"Why did your sister have out wanted posters?" asked Toph entering the conversation.

"Um, well, it's because, well, long story short I didn't fulfill my father's wishes and he considers me a failure and Uncle a traitor," mumbled Zuko.

"You never said how you got into Ba Sing Se," pointed out Katara mercifully changing the subject, after seeing Zuko's reaction to the question.

"Oh, yah that," exclaimed Zuko relieved by the change of subject, "Uncle and I got passports, I guess they're fake, my name is Lee and Uncle is Mushie."

"So you came to the city to avoid your sister, with a fake name, and got a job in the upper ring?" asked Toph.

"Yah, long story short, that's about it," answered Zuko with a confirmation nod.

"Why did your Uncle have to change his name?" asked Toph.

"I don't think Iroh would go over too well any where in the Earth Kingdom," answered Zuko. Toph's eyes grew wide with recognition when she heard Iroh's name.

"Iroh!?" whispered Toph in awe there were actually tears of admiration in her eyes.

"Hey, Toph, you alright?" asked Katara, when she looked at Zuko for explanation all she saw was a confused Zuko staring at Toph, "What is it Toph?"

"I'm fine," said Toph in a daze, "I just can't believe that I actually have met him."

Katara just stared at Toph very confused.

"Iroh is the Dragon of the West," explained Toph.

"Wait, I thought you said on the outer wall that the Dragon of the West is the only person to get through the outer wall," mused Katara confusedly.

"Yah, he is, that's amazing! Not even an earth bender can get through the out wall!" exclaimed Toph in awe.

"Toph you are so weird," commented Katara shaking her head and then receiving a rock stomping her foot.

"Hmm, I'll be right back!" exclaimed Katara running out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

"Where is she going?" asked Zuko.

"Who knows," answered Toph flipping around to prop her feat on the wall and rest her hands on the floor.

_**Azula…**_

Azula left her room and brought Mai and Ty Lee with her this time.

"Hello General Tong," said Azula authoritatively as the (Di Lee) General Tong passed her.

"Hello miss Qua Me," answered Tong stopping what he was doing and bowing to Azula (whose cover name was Qua Me) and bowed slightly to Mai and Ty Lee, "is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes I would like to speak with Long Fang," answered Azula.

"Of course Qua Me I was just headed there," and with another short bow he led the three girls to a platform and while he used earth bending to lower it the three girls rode in silence all the way down to meet with Long Fang.

"Hello Long Fang," greeted Azula as she walked into the light in front of him.

"Hello ladies," he said and with a wave of his hand he dismissed his guards, "Do you have some news?"

"Yes, the avatar's friend Katara has gone and retrieved another of the avatar's friends, the earth bender, and my brother, the fire bender, Zuko. I believe all three of them can now have warrants placed above there heads."

"Yes, you are correct," answered Long Fang smiling evilly, "A warrant for the arrest of Zuko, due to fire bending abilities, traveling on false pretenses, false citizen ship and many other offenses against the state. A warrant for the arrest of Toph Bai Fong, for entering the palace with out permission, breaking, entering, and escorting an illegal tour of Lake Laogai, and fleeing home without legal escort. A warrant for Ambassador Katara, for escorting, cooperating with, and being civil with a fire bender…and not being a Di Lee. Also for the kid napping of Toph Bai Fong," narrated Long Fang as he wrote out the warrants, "signed Council of 5."

_**Katara…**_

Katara stood in front of the door to the Earth King's throne room and pulled the great doors open.

"Hello you're highness," greeted Katara with a short bow.

"Good after noon Ambassador Katara," greeted the King nodding his head and dismissing his guards.

"I would like to speak to you in total isolation," declared Katara. A moment later they were on the roof.

"What is it Katara?" asked the King.

"There are two friends of mine living illegally in Ba Sing Se," began Katara.

"If they are friends of yours they are welcomed here and should not have to live here illegally," answered the Earth King confused.

"These friends of mine are even more rarely accepted then Aang. You see these friends of mine are fire benders, thus they are automatically banned from the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes, but there is a catch, they are also banned from the Fire Nation. Zuko is the prince of the Fire Nation; he is banned from the Fire Nation because he did not capture Aang with in his father, the Fire Lord's, time limit. It is Aang's fault that Zuko is not allowed to return to his home yet he is living in hiding here with in the city. His Uncle Iroh is not only hated by the Earth Kingdom because of his bending and being the Fire Lord's brother, but because he led a siege on this very city years ago, he became the first, and so far only, person to break through the cities outer wall, for some reason, unknown to me, he left before he was able to enter the inner wall. That was years ago and sense then he has redeemed himself by saving the moon spirit, from the fire nation, with his knowledge of the spirit world and his calm in the face of calamity. He stopped the entire world from the horror of life with out a moon. With out the moon the tides would be thrown out of balance and costal towns would be washed away, also the Water Tribes would be wiped out easily by Fire Nation because without the moon water bending is impossible. Iroh may be a powerful fire bender, in fact I'm positive he is I've seen him use all his power, against Fire Nation, and he may have done bad things in his past but he has save hundreds, thousands, of lives. These two friends of mine deserve to live in Ba Sing Se, forgiven, and free to use there real names," concluded Katara taking a deep breath.

"I had no idea that these people lived in Ba Sing Se. You are completely correct what good they have done does out weigh the bad. I'll write up papers allowing them to be legal aliens," proclaimed the King as he led Katara to his study and wrote up passports for them that proclaimed them legal aliens like Katara, Aang, and Sokka.

**_Azula, Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko and Toph…_**

Azula knocked on Katara's room's door with Mai and Ty Lee on either side of her. She heard an argument on the other side of the door and a few moments later a grumpy Zuko opened the door.

"Hello Zuzu," sneered Azula to a shocked Zuko as Mai and Ty Lee entered the room and she shoved Zuko in and shut the door behind her.

"Azula? What are you doing here?" asked Zuko still in shock.

"Told you so," said Toph in a sing song voice from her upside down possession on the bed.

"We have warrants to arrest Zuko, Toph Bai Fong, and Ambassador Katara," announced Azula producing a written warrant every time she said a name, "You are under arrest in the names of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation."

Mai and Ty Lee began to close in on Zuko and Toph who immediately prepared to fight. Zuko drew is dual swords and Toph flipped herself off the bed and into a fighting stance on the floor in one fluid motion.

"Hmgh, you two don't stand a chance," grinned Azula as she and her girls surrounded the two bender.

_**Katara…**_

"Hey, Zuko! I've solved your problem!" shouted Katara as she ran to her room's door; she was surprised to see that it was open. She went in and the door closed behind her.

"You're just so loud," complained Mai to Katara. She and Ty Lee had been hiding behind the door. She'd shut the door behind Katara. Before Katara could think straight Mai used her throwing knife things and pinned Katara to a wall, then Ty Lee cart wheeled across the room and pressed so many pressure points that she shut of Katara's bending, movement, and finally knocked her unconscious (all of which was temporary).

"Well, that was easier then I expected," groaned Mai, "Let's see what Azula wants to do with her, now we can actually enjoy the city…before it's burned to the ground."

_**Zuko, Toph, and Azula…**_

Zuko slowly opened his eyes. He saw that he and Toph had been dropped in a pile on the floor and he was on bottom. He tried to move but recognized the paralysis as Ty Lee's technique. He looked around because his head was all that he could move. There were many mettle cells around him.

"Here you go. A fully earth bending proof cell," he heard a guard say and felt Toph being lifted off him and thrown in protesting loudly but apparently she had been paralyzed as well.

Then the guard reached down and picked up Zuko who quickly closed his eyes. He decided he didn't was Azula to know he was awake yet. He couldn't move anyway so he didn't want to have that much of a disadvantage.

The guard carried him down many flights of stares as Zuko slowly got movement back. It started slow but it started coming fast. It was as if the movement was being poured into his body through his fingers and toes. By the time the got to his cell all that was left to resume movement were his legs. Unfortunately the guard decided to drop him from shoulder height onto the floor as he prepared to open the door. Zuko couldn't hold back a grunt and cringe something that wouldn't have happened had he still been unconscious.

"Well, well, Zuzu, you're awake," exclaimed Azula in mock care, "Well lets have a chat," Azula motioned and the guard who Zuko now recognized as Di Lee came into the room and shut the door behind him then used chains to bind Zuko's hands and feat. From what Zuko could tell the door could only be operated by earth bending. Zuko looked up at the Di Lee agent, Toph had explained everything about the Di Lee to Zuko so he had a vague idea that they knew that they were brother and sister and that the Di Lee must have teamed up with Azula.

"I'll cut to the chase Zuzu," lectured Azula while walking in a slow circle around Zuko, "Where is the avatar?"

"I don't know," answered Zuko honestly.

"Of, course you don't," repeated Azula with obvious disbelief, "If you tell me where the avatar is I'll be sure to put in a good word for you to father, I know you need as much help as you can get."

"I have no earthly idea where the avatar is," answered Zuko flatly. Azula reached over and delivered a short quick shock to him which left him breathless.

"I'll drop that one for now," admitted Azula with a satisfied smile as she watched her older brother struggle for breath on the floor and moan in pain.

"Where is Uncle?" asked Azula menacingly.

"I'll never tell you," answered Zuko as soon as he caught his breathe. Azula frowned, walked over, and gave him a more severe shock that made him cry out and made it nearly impossible to breathe.

"You, my dear brother, don't seem to understand the severity of your situation," announced Azula blowing a small amount of smoke from her finger tips and frowned at her writhing brother, "You WILL tell me where uncle is."

"N…n…never!" gasped Zuko between breathes. Azula calmly delivered an even more severe shock that made Zuko cry out loudly and all he could do was curl up on the floor and try to concentrate on breathing, trying to ignore the pain.

"I'll leave you with that last thought," exclaimed Azula calmly and slightly cheerfully as she silently ordered the guard to remove the cuffs. When he took them off Zuko's wrist and ankles were burned by the concentrated electricity in the metal cuffs. Zuko was still writhing in pain when the guard escorted Azula out of the cell.

_**Katara, Mai, and Ty Lee…**_

Katara opened her eyes to hear a scream she tried to move but was paralyzed and remembered it was Ty Lee's paralyzing strategy. She looked up and heard speaking and realized it was Zuko and Azula. After a few more words there was an earsplitting scream. Katara flinched because she knew it was Zuko. She felt a tear go down her cheek and felt it trail down her cheek and disappear into the dirt she was laying on. She blamed herself and was surprised by how much she cared. She shivered when she could hear Zuko's labored breathing.

"Hey, Mai, you think Azula might be going a little over bored?" asked Ty Lee surprising Katara as she flinched at the cry of pain as well.

"You know she won't. She can't. She still doesn't have all her information or else she'd have left him alone by now. Besides he still _is_ Prince Zuko and if he died I'm sure he has _some_ support group back home. Azula can't afford to kill him…just hurt him," answered Mai monotonous, in a way that Katara couldn't read but Ty Lee heard the care and hope in her friend's voice. More care then she'd heard in a long time.

Just then a Di Lee guard walked out of the cell with Azula following. By this time Katara had most of her motion back and even some of her bending every where except her arms and legs.

"Well, that was fast," said a pompous Azula standing over Katara and looking down on her, "I thought it would take you two a little longer to get this little peasant," commented Azula as she delivered a sharp kick to Katara in the side. Katara grunted but was to weak from regret and hearing Zuko's tortures to do anything even though most of her bending had returned and she was no longer paralyzed.

"Tie her up and let me questions this one," ordered Azula as the guard used the same chains used on Zuko to chain Katara's hands and feat. "Mai, Ty Lee, go enjoy the city while it still stands," ordered Azula as the two girls hurried of to follow the order.

Azula propped Katara against the wall and looked her in the eyes.

"Where is the avatar," she demanded.

"I don't know," answered Katara honestly. She thought he was probably still in there air somewhere.

"I find that hard to believe. You're just a peasant do you really want Zuko's persuasion? Typically only royalty and noble families are stupid enough to go through my torture," sneered Azula smiling evil in Katara's face when she was finished talking.

"So I'll ask you again where is the avatar?" asked Azula standing up straight and pacing.

Before Katara could answer a Di Lee guard came running down the stairs.

"The council of five would like a representative of the Di Lee to join the council Long Fang has selected Qua Me," announced the breathless Di Lee agent. Azula looked up at the mention of her cover name, "your presence is requested immediately."

"Throw her in with my brother. I'll finish this later. Right now I have a country to destroy from the inside out," sneered Azula as she followed the messenger up the stairs.

_**Katara and Zuko…**_

Katara was thrown into the cell with Zuko. She fell to her knees as she entered because the Ty Lee's affect hadn't completely worn off and her legs were still week. She clutched her mother's necklace and began to cry.

"What's wrong?" asked Zuko, still breathing deeply. Katara looked up startled at the sound of his voice.

"You're ok?" she asked tentatively, tearful, hopefully.

"Of course I am," answered Zuko attempting to smile, "It's just Azula."

"Katara coughed from having cried so hard. Then she smiled you're ok. You really are?" she asked as if he could just heal by assuring her that he was ok.

"Yes, why do you think my own sister would kill me?" asked Zuko.

"Because she is Fire nation," answered Katara softly.

"So am. Why do you think all Fire Nation citizens are evil?" he asked.

"Because…because…the Fire Nation took my mother," confessed Katara through tears as she clutched her necklace in a clenched fist.

"That's something we both have in common," admitted Zuko. He explained about his mother's story and Katara was shocked.

"Your father did all this?" asked Katara aghast.

"Yes," admitted Zuko.

"Where is she?" asked Katara quietly.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," declared Zuko firmly.

Katara gazed up at Zuko's face full of determination. Suddenly she wanted to do something for him. Anything. She felt a connection to him. A stronger connection then she had, had with anyone sense her mother had died.

"I'll help you find her," said Katara surprising Zuko.

Before either one of them could say anything else the door opened, and they both looked up dreading what they would see.

_**Azula…**_

Azula entered the room that the Council of Five was being held in and took the seat that was offered to her. As everyone in the room stood she followed suit. The Earth King entered and took his seat and everyone else sat at the same time.

"I have called this meeting of the Council of Five to discuss a tactic that has been brought to my attention. It is a dangerous tactic but it could end the war," announced the Earth King as soon as everyone was seated. The Earth King continued to describe Sokka's plan. Azula wondered how this foolish looking man had come across the exact date of the next eclipse, a date that all the great Fire Nation minds had been trying to calculate for years. Azula pretend to listen attentively until he finally got to the part where he wanted input.

"So you can clearly see that with this strategy most of the soldiers will have to leave Ba Sing Se. The reason I asked a representative of the Di Lee to attend is because if the soldiers leave then the Di Lee would be the only guards in the city. Would you be able to handle that?" asked the King turning to Azula.

"Yes, it will require a rearranging of our strategic positioning with in the city and around the outer wall but we would be able to protect the city. After all the Fire Nation will have to pull troops to try to protect itself," answered Azula acting as if she cared about the well being of Ba Sing Se.

"Can the Di Lee honestly protect the city from the Fire Nation after the resent, problems?" asked a general.

"They will have the support and help of the Southern Water Tribe protecting the city from any water attacks," defended the second generals.

"Can the Southern Water Tribe actually protect from a full fleet of the Fire Nation? I've heard that they don't even have any benders, that there only bender is right here in the palace," said a rather pompous third general.

"They have had some benders sent to them from the North. The bender here is Hakoda's daughter. You can't honestly expect her to actually fight. I've heard women aren't even aloud to learn how to water bend!" explained the fourth general.

"No, Hakoda's daughter is the first woman to be taught how to water bend, she's actually amazing," answered the last of the generals, he had been there when the gang had broken into the palace.

"Then why isn't she helping her father on the front?" asked the second general stunned that the only Southern bender would stay out of the fight.

"Who know? It's rumored that she received her training behind Hakoda's back!" answered the third general.

"Let's stay on subject shall we?" asked the king, "We have decided to leave defense of the city to the Di Lee and Southern Water Tribe?"

"Yes sir," they all answered including Azula.

"Qua Me, you are dismissed to see to reassigning troops," proclaimed the King.

Azula stood and bowed to the Earth King with perfect royal form but with crossed fingers hidden with in her robes.

Azula stood outside the door to Katara and Zuko's cell and demanded that the guard go get some chains then open the door for her. She planned on doing some more questioning.

_**Azula, Zuko, and Katara…**_

Azula entered the cell just before she would have heard Katara offer to help Zuko find their mother.

"Well, isn't this touching traitors having a nice chat," sneered Azula at Zuko and Katara who were sitting on the floor and had just looked up from their conversation both had determination written on there faces. Azula knew she could break them. She also knew that neither one of them would talk just because of personal pain. She had devised a plan.

"Chain them both and have them face each other," ordered Azula to the guard who quickly obeyed.

Once the two prisoners were positioned in a way suiting to Azula they were about five feet away from each other and in clear view of each other. Both on there knees so Azula towered over them.

"Now Miss Katara I'm going to tell you what's going to happen. I'm going to ask you questions, you're going to give me answers," droned Azula not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice, "If you refuse to answer my questions Zuko will receive a shock like this," she reached over and delivered a small shock that caused Katara to jolt and gave her short breathing for a few moments, "Every time you refuse to answer I will give Zuzu here a stronger shock starting at a level five times hire then what you just received," explained Azula with an unpleasant smile, "You are very luck really. I know you know all the information I need and will get it from you. If I thought Zuzu knew more I'd be shocking you."

Azula watched satisfied as both Katara and Zuko went pail and looked at each other. She was Zuko mouth not to say anything. Katara already looked as if she was ready to talk. 'It looks like this will be easier then I expected,' thought Azula seeing the two enemies reactions to her plan.

"Now, where is my bothersome uncle?" asked Azula while beginning to pace between Katara and Zuko.

"I," Katara looked at Zuko who was shaking his head no franticly Katara bit her lip, "I don't know."

Azula sighed dramatically, "You don't seem to think I'm true to my word," commented Azula pretending to be hurt, "I'll have to fix that," she said slowly walking over to Zuko and delivering a fair shock to him which nearly made him cry out, but he was able to hold it in he did double over and have to gasp for air. Katara shut her eyes so that she couldn't see Azula attack Zuko.

"Now that you know that I am true to my word would you like to revise that answer?" asked Azula as if nothing had happened. Katara opened her eyes and looked over to Zuko silently pleading with him to allow her to tell Azula but he shook his head no with pain written across his face but determination in his eyes. Katara tried to emulate that determination when she gave her answer.

"No," answered Katara strongly surprising herself. Azula merely walked over and shocked Zuko again, more severely. Zuko tried not to but he had to release a muffled cry as he doubled over again shivering. Katara felt a tear roll down her cheek from her eyes which were shut tight. She opened them and saw Zuko pulling himself into an upright kneeling position determination still in his eyes, even though his face was covered with tear stains, ashes, and dirt, he still tried to give a reassuring smile but only succeeded in a small grin that made Katara want to talk even more.

"We'll come back to that one," said Azula as if she was talking about a difficult problem on a test, "Would you mind telling me where the avatar is?"

Zuko whipped his head up and shook it no so ferociously that he winced in pain from the movement.

"I…I don't know," answered Katara watching in horror as Azula walked over and shocked Zuko even worse. Zuko was unable to stop himself from crying out loudly and falling to the floor, curling up in a ball and shaking uncontrollably. Katara's sight blurred from tears.

"I know you know exactly where the avatar is," declared Azula not even pretending to be nice and letting all her menace poor into her voice, "Now tell me where he is!"

"I don't know," sobbed Katara as Azula shocked Zuko who was still on the floor recovering from the last shock he cried out even more loudly and curled into the fetal position as blue sparks danced around the metal chains he shook uncontrollably and his arms and legs near the chains were charred black from the concentration of the electricity.

"Let me enlighten you, girl," spat Azula in Katara's face, "I do not care for traitors. Zuko's doom is sealed. I am not permitted to kill him although my father understands that accidents happen during questioning. I will not kill him. But you would be surprised what a person can live through. So tell me exactly where the avatar is!"

"He's," Katara paused and looked to Zuko who was still on the floor recovering from the past shocks, "Aang's…"

"Katara _NO_!" rasped Zuko through his shallow breaths.

"I'm sorry…," Katara whispered biting her lip, tears streaming down her face, "…Aang," Katara looked up with tears clouding her vision, "Aang's going to…the Eastern Air Temple," choked Katara.

Azula kicked Zuko as she walked past him smiling evilly; she knew she'd be able to crack the water bender. Unfortunately for Azula she had been bluffing about being able to go farther with Zuko's tortures. Her father was the least understanding person in the world, if she came home with her brother dead she would be punished severely and loose her father's favor.

"We can continue this conversation as soon as I return from the Eastern Air Temple," announced Azula motioning for the guard to remove the shackles. The guard complied reveling pink skin around Katara's wrists and ankles from the small shock she had received and burned disgusting circles around Zuko's wrists and ankle.

Azula left the room behind the guard who shut the door. Katara crawled over to Zuko who was still on the ground slightly curled in a ball. Katara looked around the room. The walls were completely made of rock with crystals like the ones from the two lover's cave embedded in the walls to give light without fire. There was a small window in one wall, the wall that Azula and the guards had entered. Katara walked over to the window and looked out into a corridor. She saw Azula disappearing up the stare case and the guard that had let her in at the door alone. Katara also saw a small bowl of water on a table with her water pouch and Zuko's dual swords. Quietly Katara concentrated on what she was doing she only had one shot. She raised the water and when the guard was staring at is surprised she used it to it to flick the only pressure point she knew one at the base of the neck that effectively knocked him out.

"Why did you do it?" rasped Zuko speaking through the pain.

"Shush Zuko let me heal you," answered Katara with a tear trailing down her face as she took Zuko's mangled wrists in her water coated hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated on how badly wished that Zuko's hands would heal. Then she felt the familiar rush of energy out through her hands and into Zuko's wrists. She breathed deeply willing the water to heal her friend, she tried harder then she ever had in her life. When she opened her eyes Zuko's wrist were completely healed. Zuko stared wide eyed at his wrists. Although the skin around them still had soot on them and his clothes were torn near his wrists the pain was almost all gone.

"How'd you…?" Zuko began before being immediately shushed by Katara who informed him that she wasn't done yet. She moved on to his ankles doing the same thing then to his chest repairing the damage the lightning had done to his lungs. When she was finally done she explained her healing ability, and told Zuko to lie down so he would heal faster. Katara watched as the fire bender slipped into sleep. She leaned against the wall behind her and slipped into sleep while slumping farther and farther down until she was curled up on the ground.

_**Mai, Ty Lee, Toph…**_

"Yes!" exclaimed Ty Lee as she and Mai walked down the hallway, well, in all fairness as Ty Lee cartwheel, flipped, bounced, and pretty much did anything but walk, down the hall, and Mai walked, "We can go see that zoo! Or go to that museum, or maybe just look at everything the city has, starting in the lower ring!"

"Why can't we stay in the upper ring?" asked Mai from behind Ty Lee who was standing on her hands and looked up at Mai from upside down, "Why would we want to do that?"

"In case Azula wants to see us," answered Mai unfazed by her friend's cluelessness.

"She'll know where we went," answered Ty Lee confidently as she completed a cartwheel.

"What ever," mumbled Mai.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!" screamed Toph as she pounded on the door just as Mai and Ty Lee were passing making both girls jump nearly out of there skin. Ty Lee walked curiously over to Toph's cell's door and peaked in and was surprised.

"I thought Azula would have put her in a more secure cell," Ty Lee commented to Mai who slapped her forehead in frustration.

"LET ME OUT **NOW**!!!" Toph shouted recognizing the girls by there voices, and pounding the door very loudly and rapidly. Ty Lee and cringed at the noise because she was so close to the door when Toph suddenly decided to make a racket.

"Sorry don't have a key," apologized Ty Lee as she and Mai hurried down the hall.

_**Toph…**_

Toph pushed her back against the wall and slid down the sleek medal surface until she was sitting on the smooth floor, as she heard Ty Lee and Mai's foot steps disappear down the hall. She sat with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.

"Food," said a guard as he slipped a tray with some gruel under Toph's cell door, and he moved on.

Toph felt her way across the floor until her hand landed on the middle of the gruel, she groaned and pulled clumsily into a sitting position and the food into her lap and ate it quickly unable to see what she was eating. She slumped back on the wall and quickly got bored.

She tentatively stood up using the wall to steady herself. She had never been this unable to see. There had always been earth floors or walls. She felt her way around the cell feeling the wall to try to get an idea of what the cell would look like she came to some bars and she assumed it was the door and swung her foot forward expecting it go through the food slot but instead it made contact with the metal wall painfully. Toph was angry at first before she realized what that meant. The cell she was in had a window to the outside. 'So that's what Circus Freak meant when she called this cell less secure' thought Toph happy to be underestimated for the first time in her life.

Toph reached her arm through the bars. A typical adult's arm wouldn't fit through the bars but Toph's slender arms easily slipped through. She placed her hand on the wall outside the cell. She had expected to feel metal, and she did, but she was pleased when she found that the wall outside the window apparently hadn't been cleaned in a long time and was dirty. It had a thick coating of earth. Toph got to work bringing all of the earth off the wall and into the cell that she could reach.

When Toph had cleaned a patch around her window in a perfect circle with a radius as long as her arm, she got to work. First she used her bending to put thick coats of earth around the bands around her wrists and ankles. Then she spread the rest in a thin layer on the floor of her cell so she could see a little but around her cell. It made her relax just to see what her cell sort of looked like. She was tiered so she kicked the food tray out under the door and gathered the dirt from across her floor and stuffed it into a corner so it just looked like dust then lay down in the middle of the floor to sleep he head resting reassuringly on her earth – encrusted wrist bands.

_**Mai and Ty Lee…**_

"Do you think we should have stopped Azula?" asked Mai, as they walked through the zoo that Aang had helped build, surprising Ty Lee.

"I don't think so. She wasn't going to hurt Zuko too badly. Fire Lord Ozi would be angry if she killed him," pointed out Ty Lee reassuring Mai, "Hey! Look at that!" shouted Ty Lee rushing over to the wall that held the Rabaroo and doing a front flip as she jumped onto the edge of the wall, "What's this?!" she asked no one in particular.

"That's a Rabaroo," answered the zoo keeper as he and Mai walked over to look in the cage, "You're really only the second person to take any interest in him. The Avatar Aang liked him too."

"Really?" asked Ty Lee not really caring that the man had revealed knowing anything about Aang, Mai noticed but decided it wasn't worth the trouble, "It's so cute and look at the babies!" cried Ty Lee happily jumping down into the cage before Mai or the zoo keeper could stop her. The zoo keeper was panicking because the drop from the top of the wall was about twenty feet, but Ty Landed gracefully and rushed up to the babies and started playing with them.

"How'd she do that!?" asked the relieved zoo keeper to Mai. Who just shrugged, used to Ty Lee's feats of that measure.

When Ty Lee finished playing with the baby rabaroos she jumped out of the enclosure by jumping back and forth between two walls in the corner of the enclosure to get out.

"That was amazing!" exclaimed the zoo keeper, "If I didn't know any better I'd swear you were an air bender!"

Ty Lee just thanked him and dragged Mai to look at some other animals. Mai glanced over at her friend. She'd always thought Ty Lee seemed like the air bender stories she'd heard. Her father was a noble fire bender but no one knew anything about her mother's family.

Mai got distracted by a cat-like animal while Ty Lee went on to look at the dragon flies. Ty Lee looked over both shoulders then tried something she'd never tried before. She positioned her feat just as she'd seen Aang do and tried merely pin wheeling her arms in a clockwise direction with her hands cupped and down. She felt the air follow her hand faster and faster until the air pushed her about four feat of the ground and Ty Lee quickly stopped. As she landed she'd never realized how much she concentrated on the air slowing her fall. She landed gracefully on the ground out of breathe merely because of her new discovery. Had she really air bent? She had to know, "Hey Mai, I think I'm ready to go back to the palace," called Ty Lee across the zoo staring at her hands.

"Finally," sighed Mai hurrying after her hyperactive friend.

_**Toph…**_

"Food," announced a guard as he shoved some gruel under Toph's door, waking Toph up.

"Hey can you tell me what time it is?" asked Toph stopping the guard.

"I don't know, dinner time," answered the guard rudely not even waiting for the response he wasn't going to get anyway and walked on.

Toph waited for a few hours as she heard the other prisoners settling and drift into sleep she heard the guards shuffle to the end of the corridor and sit in some chairs. She heard them talk and heard about five guards, as the night wore on each guard fell asleep one by one. Once Toph was sure all five guards were sleeping (one was actually snoring) she took the excess dirt and coated the inside of the door with a dirt. Toph still couldn't see anything on the inside of the door so she struggled for a few moments to find a way to coat the outside of the door looking for another way to get out. She found the door handle and the lock. She could reach both by creating a platform with the earth and reaching her arm through the narrow slits between the bars. She used her earth bending to pick the lock and a few minutes later she was standing outside he cell's door gently shutting it behind her. She used the excess earth to encrust her hands and feat (think of the Di Lee's gloves) and began to walk quietly in the direction she'd heard the guards carry Zuko earlier in the day.

Once she got to the foreigner wing of the prison she could drop the excess dirt because everything, even the doors, was made of earth here. The first few corridors had sleeping guards but when she got deeper into the wing the guards were more alert. Toph decided to tunnel to where she could now feel the familiar shape of Katara on the ground. When she got right under the cell she paused only for a moment when she felt three people above her instead of just two.

**_Katara, Zuko, and Toph…_**

Katara was awakened when both she and Zuko were shot into the air by the earth beneath them.

"You are in a world of trouble!" announced the very angry guard who Katara was willing to bet had a head ache from her little stunt when retrieving the water. Katara had dropped the water when she had finished healing Zuko and it was long absorbed into the ground by now. Zuko rubbed his eyes completely confused both of them looked to the door but the guard had remembered to close it.

"Oh, no, you're not getting away," announced the guard noticing where the two were look and then, as if on cue, Toph burst out of the ground under the guard throwing him twenty feet into the air, successfully knocking him out.

"TOPH!!!" shouted Katara running over to the protesting earth bender, "thank you, thank you, thank you! We have to get out of here!"

"Gee, thanks Sugar Queen," mumbled Toph untangling herself uncomfortably from Katara's hug, "I thought you'd like to stay," she added sarcastically as she stumbled away from the grateful water bender.

"How did you get in here?" asked Zuko astonished.

"Long story right now we do have to get out," Toph replied reaching down to put a hand on the ground, "I can feel some guards coming. They feel way better trained then this joker," Toph explained poking the guard she'd thrown into the air with her toe.

"How are we getting out?" asked Katara.

"How else?" was Toph's reply as she made a tunnel entrance.

Toph led the way and in a few minutes the three friends were tunneling up into the middle of the palace court yard.

"Could you have possibly picked a more discrete location?" asked Katara as she looked around noticing that they were visible from two wings of the palace and the wall.

"Let's see you tunnel better," answered Toph, "I didn't know where you two planned on going.

"Maybe we can go back to our apartment," suggested Zuko referring to the apartment that he and his uncle shared, "but Azula will be able to arrest us legally for the Earth Kingdom, even using soldiers because she's probably already exposed us," added Zuko glumly talking himself out of going back to his uncle.

"No she can't!" announced Katara excitedly pulling out a small pile of papers that, amazingly hadn't been harmed, "You and your uncle are now legal alien, just like Sokka, Aang, and myself," announced Katara hand Zuko his and his uncle's specialized passport.

"How on earth did you get this?" asked Zuko in awe.

"I asked the Earth King," replied Katara simply.

"But…why would the Earth King give Uncle _Iroh_ a passport?" asked Zuko still not able to believe what Katara was saying.

"Well, I explained that you are a close friend of mine, and that Iroh save the Northern Water Tribe from immediate defeat, and the rest of the world from the horrors of life with out a moon, which means a lot considering the tides don't exist with out the moon," answered Katara with a touch of smugness. Zuko was about to respond when Toph cut them off.

"I hate to break up this touching moment," announced Toph even though she clearly couldn't careless that she was cutting them off, "but wouldn't we rather leave and get to this apartment _before _we're noticed?"

"Oh, yah," answered Zuko and Katara blushing a little, there hands slipped together naturally as they stood for a moment. Free. Toph led the way out of the palace and Zuko led the way to his apartment while Toph made sure that they weren't being followed.

_**Ty Lee…**_

Ty Lee took a deep breath. Then breathed it out emulating preparation techniques she'd observed so many benders use before. She looked around one more time. She'd found the one part of the palace court yard that was not clearly visible from any of the windows in the palace or any of the guard points along the wall. Ty Lee took another breath and tried to find another way of using the air to lift herself off the ground rather then pin wheeling her arms. She had learned a lot about general bending while she was in the Fire Nation Academy for Girls, when she had been trained to block bending chi.

Taking another deep breath she concentrated on the air around her. She'd learned that that was part of bending, understanding the element. She was surprised at how easily she connected to the air around her. It blew her face and whispered in her ear to give it a try. Ty Lee giggled and thought about what she'd seen the avatar do. It suddenly made sense to her, as she thought about the avatar and listened to the wind, circles were the key. The reason she'd never accidentally bent, was because she had, one never gotten that angry, and two, the fire bending based moves she'd been taught were to sharp. She gently held her hands out in front of her and spun around twice before showing the air that she wanted it to bow the leaves of the tree in front of her. A gust of wind followed her as she spun then blew the leaves of a portion of the tree. Ty Lee was ecstatic. She was a bender! An air bender!

_**Toph, Zuko, Katara, and Iroh…**_

"Uncle!" shouted Zuko as he entered the apartment dragging Katara by the hand with Toph close behind.

"Zuko, where have you been? You had me worried sick!" called Iroh from the bedroom as he walked out to meet his nephew eyes widening when he was the three friends appearance. Zuko and Katara were covered with dirt, ashes, and had tear stains. There clothes were ragged and charred and they were just a general mess. Toph was just plain dirty. It was odd she had so evenly coated herself with dirt that she didn't really look messy just dirty.

"Where have all three of you been?" asked Iroh in shock at the sight of the three of them.

Zuko and Katara looked at each other, and suddenly realized how they looked.

"That's kind of a long story," answered Zuko.

"You three need to get some sleep. I'll set up the room in the back for Katara and Toph and you can sleep on spare bed out her," said Iroh directing Zuko to the spare bed in the kitchen. Noticing that Zuko and Katara were still holding hands he smiled gently.

"I'm good right here," answered Toph belly flopping on the floor and pushing the dirt into a comfortable bed.

"Don't worry that's _normal_ for Toph, even though _normal_ hardly fits her at all," whispered Katara to Iroh seeing his puzzled face.

"Well then, would you still like to use the room?" asked Iroh. Katara looked over at the spare and thought it looked comfortable.

"No, I'm good out here you two sleep where you normally do," she answered with a yawn. As Zuko and Iroh disappeared into the back bed room and all four of them climbed, or fell in Toph's case, into there beds and quickly drifted off to sleep.

_**Zuko and Iroh…**_

Iroh watched as Zuko slept more peacefully then he had in a long time. He carefully checked Zuko over for any burns or major injuries and noticed his wrists and ankles had black soot everywhere except a pink wring around his wrists and ankles of new, healed skin when the clothes around those wrings were charred and burned. Iroh raised his eyebrow, he'd always known Katara was a powerful bender but he didn't realize that she was so powerful that she could heal. He also knew that by the looks of the clothes and soot they had been pretty serious burns and it took heart and power to heal that severe a burn. Iroh really wanted to know what had happened but refrained from ask Zuko who rolled over and both Zuko and Iroh's legal alien passports fell to the floor. Iroh curiously bent down and picked them up and his eyes opened wide when he saw what they were. He wondered how Zuko had managed to get both of them legal alien passports. Iroh slipped Zuko's in Zuko's pocket and pocketed his own and went to sleep.

**_Zuko, Katara, and Iroh…_**

Zuko yawned and stretched as he woke up, he looked over at his sleeping uncle and quietly tip toed out of there room. He walked over to the window in the kitchen and stared out over the upper ring. The sun was just coming up and peaking over the roof tops far away. Zuko directed his attention inside the apartment. Katara was still sleeping but looked as if she was about to get up any minute. Toph was sprawled out on the floor right in front of the door drooling and snoring. Iroh was still asleep, he always slept late and Zuko had to get him up for work. Zuko looked back at Katara who was beginning to stir. Zuko thought she looked simple and beautiful when she slept. She didn't have the look on her face that she had during the day, her face had 'I don't want your help or your sympathy just let me do all that I can', now her face was at peace.

"Well, hello Zuko," said Katara smiling as she opened her eyes.

"Hey, Sugar Queen," answered Zuko playfully using Toph's nick name for Katara. Katara pretended to be angry but gave in and smiled again as she pushed herself up and out of the bed. She was still dressed in her tattered clothes because she'd been too tired to change earlier. They both looked out the window together.

"Why did you tell her?" whispered Zuko to Katara who almost didn't hear him. Katara was quiet for a long time before she finally answered.

"Because…Aang can take care of himself now," she answered vaguely.

"What do you mean?" asked Zuko.

"Aang's learning how to control the avatar state. If he gets that under control he'll be unstoppable," explained Katara.

"Where did he learn fire bending?" asked Zuko, Katara looked up at him.

"He hasn't," she answered simply pleading with Zuko to say he'd do it. Instead Zuko walked over to the stove and started it up with fire bending now that he could legally bend in the city.

"Would you like some eggs?" he asked changing the subject, Katara decided to drop it and started helping Zuko make the breakfast.

Neither one of the two noticed Iroh hadn't slept as long as they thought. He had gotten up and was heading out to get some breakfast when he heard the two talking to each other he listened to the entire conversation and waited a few moments before leaving the room.

"Good morning you two," greeted Iroh walking out as soon as the food was done.

"Would you like some?" asked Zuko offering his uncle a plate his uncle who accepted it.

"Zuko, where did you get these?" asked Iroh pulling out the passport he'd found on the floor, "it fell while you were sleeping I put yours in your pocket."

"Oh, Katara got them for us," answered Zuko taking about out of his eggs, "Isn't it great. We can bend in the city now."

"Thank you, Katara," said Iroh turning to face Katara.

"No problem," answered Katara nonchalantly as she finished dishing out her eggs. The three ate breakfast together talking about various things until all the dishes had been cleared away and Toph still hadn't woken up.

"I better go to the market and get some new clothes," announced Katara looking down at her tattered clothes, "I don't think I should go back to the palace just yet."

"Zuko, would you mind helping me open up the shop today?" asked Iroh strategically so he could find out what had happened from his nephew.

"Ok, be right there!" shouted Zuko before turning to Katara, "Do you need any money?"

"No, I have some right here," she answered pulling some gold pieces out of her pocket, "I'll take Toph with me so I don't run into trouble," added Katara quickly reading the worry on Zuko's face. Both of them looked over at Toph who merely snorted a little more loudly at the sound of her name and scratched her nose before drifting more deeply into sleep.

"I know how to wake her up," explained Katara smiling evilly and pulling some water out of a bowl in the kitchen. She splashed the water on Toph's face, who immediately woke up screaming.

"KATARA!!!" screeched Toph sitting bolt upright, "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR!!!"

"Morning Toph," answered Katara sweetly, "We're going shopping."

Toph groaned and flopped back on her back, "you woke me up for _that_." Katara smiled and had a fun time waking Toph up.

_**Toph and Katara…**_

Katara and Toph walked down the street side by side. Katara was wearing a simple Earth Kingdom outfit. It was definitely not a poverty level outfit, it was not noble either. It was average for the upper ring, like Zuko, Iroh, and Toph's clothing, but Katara wasn't satisfied.

"Can we go back yet," wined Toph as she shuffled after Katara.

"No not until I find something to wear," snapped Katara.

"You _are _wearing something," Toph pointed out.

"Something that looks remotely good! With at least a little blue in it," snapped Katara who was not in a good mood. All the clothes she'd seen were all typical Earth Kingdom green or neutral. Her spirits lifted when she saw an outfit in a window that was blue. She grabbed Toph's wrist and dragged her friend into the store.

"How much for this?" Katara asked showing a merchant an outfit she liked.

"That'll be 100 gold pieces," answered the merchant.

"What!? Why is it so much?" asked Katara shocked.

"It came straight from a Water Tribe," answered the merchant.

"Who on earth told you that?" asked Katara crossing her arms.

"The guy I bought it from," replied the merchant looking down at Katara.

"This is ridiculous, just wear what you have on," complained Toph cutting off the argument.

"Fine," grumbled Katara crossing her arms and walking out following Toph.

As they walked down the street they saw a Di Lee walking down a street crossing there's. Both Toph and Katara noticed him at the same time and ducked into an ally. They walked a few feet in the ally before Katara saw another Di Lee stalking across the roof of a house at the end of the ally. The two girls took a very long, complicated, and wandering path back to the tea shop careful not to be spotted by any of the Di Lee.

**_Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee…_**

"How did they get past all of you?" shouted Azula in her Di Lee guards' faces, "I _thought_ you were supposed to be earth bending elite."

"It was the water bender and the Bai Fong girl. The water bender healed your brother, somehow, and the Bai Fong girl tunneled under the prison and freed them," mumbled one of the guards as the rest shuffled away from him.

"You let two girls and my brother beet all of you!?" shouted Azula. She was standing in front of a line up of the Di Lee guards that had been on the foreigner wing of the jail that night. She had Ty Lee and Mai behind her backing her up although both of there minds were far away, and actually thinking for the first time in a long time.

Mai was thinking about Zuko and what had happened to him. She wondered what the 'Bai Fong' girl and the water bender would do. She wished she'd done something earlier. If she'd of helped him earlier she thought he might be in a better situation. She was determined to find Zuko and help him. She was determined for the first time in a long time.

Ty Lee on the other hand was preoccupied with the new talent she'd discovered the night before. She wondered where you learned more about how to air bend. She'd seen the fire benders train but she'd never seen any others training. Maybe air benders had private tutors. She thought about what she'd learned in history and remembered that they were trained at air temples. She was determined to get to a temple and find someway to learn how to master her new found talent. She was determined for the first time in a long time.

"I want all of you to scour the city and bring those three back as well as my uncle Iroh!" announced Azula as all of the Di Lee quickly dispersed and went to comb the city.

"Go get the avatar," ordered Azula after the Di Lee had left. She ordered Mai and Ty Lee to find Aang, giving them directions to the Eastern Air Temple.

_**Ty Lee and Mai…**_

"I don't think I'll be able to come with you to the air temple," Mai mumbled to Ty Lee as they walked to the train station. They'd been ordered to change into there Fire Nation clothes as soon as they were outside the outer wall, "I've got…stuff to take care of here," explained Mai weekly thinking about Zuko.

"Don't worry I won't tell anyone that your helping Zuko," answered Ty Lee infuriating Mai with her ability to read her so well, "I don't think I'll follow Azula's orders either."

"Why?" asked Mai although she thought she knew.

"Well, I want to ask the avatar for…help with something," answered Ty Lee vaguely.

"Don't worry I won't tell anyone you're an air bender," comforted Mai shocking Ty Lee.

"How did _you _know!?" asked Ty Lee.

"I've always thought you were…different…you've always reminded me of the air bender stories," answered Mai smiling at the shocked Ty Lee, "How long have you known?"

"Sense the zoo keeper asked me about it I tried something simple and it worked," answered Ty Lee.

"Good luck, Ty Lee," said Mai as the two girls prepared to go different directions.

"You too," squealed Ty Lee giving Mai a big hug, "I'll see you again. Bye," Ty Lee broke the hug and ran off to catch the train.

"Good bye, Ty Lee," whispered Mai as she watched her friend run off to change her life, "and good luck again, you'll need it."

_**Katara, Toph, Zuko, and Iroh…**_

Katara and Toph jumped through the back window into the tea shop.

"You do know there is a perfectly good door," Zuko announced when he saw them. Zuko had told Iroh the story from seeing Katara in the shop on. Zuko was still thinking about what his uncle had said, 'I don't need you to protect me now Zuko, I am legal here and I am happy. You must do what you think is right. Listen to your heart and do as it says. You have only seen the beginning of what is to come.' Zuko shook his head; his uncle could be so confusing.

"The Di Lee are everywhere," answered Katara standing up and brushing dust off her clothes.

"Come on, we have to get out of here," responded Zuko suddenly serious, "Uncle I'm leaving!"

"Wait a minute," Iroh shouted back from the other room as he walked to him, "Good bye and good luck Zuko," said Iroh putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder, "always do what you know is right, not what someone says is right, here's some money you may need it," added Zuko slipping a rather fat bag of coins into Zuko's hand, "now go!"

"Good bye uncle," answered Zuko giving his uncle a huge hug, "I'll come back eventually, I promise."

And with that all three of them jumped out of the window and were gone.

_**Aang, Ty Lee, and Guru Pa Ti…**_

"Aang, you must concentrate. You will never be able to control your avatar spirit if you are not focused," lectured Guru Pa Ti while he tried to teach Aang, and then he sighed, "Let's take another break and try again later."

"Uhg, this is harder then earth bending!" complained Aang as he walked over and grabbed his glider. He was about to fly around and get some fresh air when he saw someone climbing the side of the mountain and flew down to see who it was.

"Avatar Aang!" shouted Ty Lee from below him waving her hand and nearly falling off the side of the mountain. Aang was so curious that he landed to see what she wanted.

"What are you doing here?" he asked cocking his head.

"It's a really long story," answered Ty Lee, "I wanted to talk to you, and then Azula told me and Mai to come here and um…get you, but Mai wanted to stay in Ba Sing Se because Zuko's there and she wanted hang out with him; and I didn't want to do what Azula said because then you wouldn't help me."

Aang looked at Ty Lee as if she was crazy. He had no idea that Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, Zuko, or Iroh were even in Ba Sing Se much less looking for him.

"You guys were in Ba Sing Se?" asked Aang.

"Well, you and the cute water tribe boy had already left when we got there," answered Ty Lee blushing slightly when she mentioned Sokka.

"What did you want my help with?" asked Aang.

"Oh! I'll show you! But I can't show you here or I'll fall off," said Ty Lee looking down the side of the mountain.

Aang gave Ty Lee a ride to the top of the mountain.

"Ok, so what couldn't you show me down there?" asked Aang.

"Watch!" answered Ty Lee excitedly as she pin wheeled her arms until she was about twenty feet in the air then gently lowered herself to the ground.

"Oh my, gosh!" shouted Aang, "You're an air bender! How? Why are you hanging out with Azula?"

"I've been hanging out with Azula because her dad and my dad are friends and I don't know how I'm an air bender, I think it's on my mom's side though because I don't know much about her. I only figured out that I was an air bender yesterday. I hurried here as fast I could," answered Ty Lee as loudly and speaking as fast as Aang.

Guru Pa Ti came around the corner and groaned at the sight of another hyperactive air bender to try to watch.

"This is great! I can teach you how to air bend! Come on!" shouted Aang running off towards the air temple with Ty Lee following, both of them ignoring the Guru who really didn't mind being ignored.

"Here, you'll want this," said Aang handing Ty Lee a glider from a pile in a room in the temple. Aang explained that this was where they made gliders and breed flying bison, "but there aren't any flying bison anymore so you'll have to go with just a glider."

"Ok! How do I use it?!" asked Ty Lee excitedly. Aang showed her how to open the glider and control the air currents around it and by the end of the day Ty Lee was flying, not very high and not very fast, and she couldn't do any flips or anything but she could fly up or down the mountain now.

Aang still hadn't mastered getting into the avatar state and it worried him that Mai and Azula were still in the city, along with Zuko and Iroh. Aang wasn't to concerned about Iroh, he knew Iroh was a powerful fire bender but Iroh reminded Aang his Master Gyatso. Zuko was also powerful but Aang had a hard time reading him. Half the time Zuko was helping and the other half he was trying to drag Aang off to the Fire Nation in chains. He knew absolutely nothing about Mai besides she had wicked good aim. He was most concerned about Azula because he knew she was powerful and didn't have any qualms about taking over a city like Ba Sing Se.

Over the next two days Guru Pa Ti trained Aang and Aang trained Ty Lee which helped his training but not much. Ty Lee was a fast learner. She and Aang thought on the same wave length, which meant that Guru Pa Ti had to over see their training because they were constantly drifting off on something else. Ty Lee could now fly pretty well and had learned a few basic moves. It turned out that all of her training for the circus and other things had been improving her bending the entire time.

"I think we better go back to Ba Sing Se to see if we can help," announced Aang to Ty Lee, "You can stay here but there is no guaranty that I'll get back to the temple in a while if you come along we can continue your training."

"Let's go!" exclaimed Ty Lee enthusiastically.

"Wait a minute!" shouted Guru Pa Ti Aang and Ty Lee were just about to jump onto Appa (jump up 30 feet in the air because Appa was flying above them), "Aang you have not come close to mastering the avatar state. You have to stay here and finish training or you'll be back to square one!"

"Actually square one is not even knowing I'm the avatar and I'd _love_ to go back to that square. I can learn that later!" Aang shouted over his shoulder as he and Ty Lee landed on Appa's back, gliders in hand, and flew off towards Ba Sing Se. Guru Pa Ti watched them from the ground and shook his head.

**_Katara, Toph, Zuko, Mai…_**

"Where should we go?" asked Zuko as the three friends huddled in an ally.

"Well, we can't go back to the palace because Azula's there and we can't stay in the open in the inner ring because of the Di Lee and we can't go to the Bai Fong house because of Xin Fu and Yu so we have to leave the city!" announced Toph not even trying to hide her joy at being kicked out of the city she hated.

"We can't just leave!" answered Zuko thinking of what would happen to his uncle if the Fire Nation found him.

"Let go out to my dad's fleet!" suggested Katara excitedly.

"Zuko! Your ok!" cried Mai as she turned the corner, she'd been looking for him everywhere and was so relieved when she saw the three of them in a huddle then she saw that Zuko and Katara were holding hands and her heart turned to ice again. Her face went from the caring that she had shown to anger. Zuko had unknowingly broken Azula's control of Mai and even less intentionally restored Azula's control by just being with Katara.

"Azula's looking for the three of you," announced Mai darkly hoping that something incredibly horrible was planned for the water bender. Mai had originally planned on helping Zuko; of course she had also planned on him being a prisoner of the water tribe girl and earth bender.

"Great job Toph," mumbled Zuko and Katara sarcastically to Toph who was supposed be the look out but had been distracted by the argument not liking that it was leaning towards getting on boats.

"Shut up," mumbled Toph as the three of them stood up to fight then remembered the Di Lee would help Mai and turned around and ran.

Mai followed them but was unable to go through the walls as they were so eventually they were past the outer wall and Mai was still working her way out of the inner wall. Frustrated and heart broken Mai reported back to Azula telling her that the three targets had escaped and that Ty Lee had left to apprehend the avatar alone. Even though Mai was angry she was not willing to sell out Ty Lee.

_**Katara, Toph, Zuko, Sokka, and Hakoda…**_

"So are we going to go to my dad's fleet?" asked Katara after the three had caught there breathe and were standing on a shore from which they could see the southern water tribe's fleet.

"Do we have to?" wined Toph in anticipation of not being able to see.

"I guess we do," answered Zuko, "but what'll he do when he sees me? I'm sure your brother will…recognize me…right away and I don't think he'll be as quick to trust me…"

"I'll talk to dad and Sokka. Besides when I tell them Azula's taking over Ba Sing Se from the inside out and has pushed the three of us out of the city they'll forget about it," Katara comforted.

"How are we supposed to get out there?" asked Toph knowing that there wasn't a dock anywhere near and knowing enough to know that meat they were going to get out to Hakoda creatively.

"Follow me!" ordered Katara as she made an under water bubble and the three friends walked on the floor of the lake out until they were directly under Hakoda's water fleet. Katara and Zuko looked up through the water and positioned themselves so they were right next to a boat.

"Ok, looks like you can bring us up now Toph," suggested Zuko still looking up.

"Finally!" moaned Toph shooting the three of them up so fast that Katara and Zuko were laid flat on there backs.

"Katara?" asked a stunned Sokka as soon as they were above water. He had been talking with Bato on the deck of the ship they shoes to pop up next to, "What the heck is going on?"

Katara and Zuko stood up glared at Toph who couldn't see them and didn't bother to try to feel there expressions just smiled sweetly.

"What is he doing here?" asked Sokka pointing a finger at Zuko.

"Hey, Sokka, I'm fine thanks for asking," answered Katara sarcastically as she made a water bridge from Toph's island to Sokka's boat and ushered everyone across. Zuko went across fine and Katara dragged a protesting Toph across the bridge after her.

"So let me get this straight. You went into Iroh's tea shop for lunch Zuko followed you and helped you save Toph who had been kid napped by Xin Fu and Yu who were after Toph because her father says _we_ kid napped her and is paying them. The three of you went to the palace and while you left Zuko and Toph in your room and went and got Zuko and Iroh legal alien papers Azula Mai and Ty Lee, who had impersonated Kioshi warriors and got promoted to the head of the Di Lee, came and arrested Zuko and Toph because Zuko's a traitor and Toph's…just Toph. When you got back to your room Mai and Ty Lee surprised you and arrested you, through you and Zuko in the same cell. Azula asked you a bunch of questions and tortured Zuko. Toph got out of her cell in the earth bending proof wing of the prison, which apparently isn't earth bending proof, and broke you two out of your cell, _after_ you ratted out Aang and you went back to Zuko and Iroh's place got some new clothes then came out here?" asked Sokka after Katara had told him and Hakoda the story, "I don't believe you."

"Why…no…How could I make something like that up?!" asked Katara angry with her brother for not believing her. Katara and Sokka were about to go deeper into the argument.

"Katara! Sokka! Calmed down," ordered Hakoda ending the argument, "I do not think Katara could have made the whole thing up although parts of it are unbelievable."

"Dad it's all true! Zuko show him your legal alien passport!" ordered Katara. Zuko pulled out his damp, burned, but still recognizable passport and showed it to Hakoda. Sokka stared at it wide eyed.

"Are you serious about Azula being in charge of the Di Lee?" asked Sokka beginning to believe his sister.

"Yes, I'll show you! We need to know how to get back to the palace and get to the Earth King. Azula's got him as _protected_ as Long Fang did!" answered Katara.

"Let's go!" announced Sokka looking out the window and seeing Aang coming, "We've got a ride!"

**_Sokka, Aang, Zuko, Katara, and Ty Lee..._**

"What happened to Mai?" asked Ty Lee, "She said she was going to help you two out."

"Yah, not much help," answered Toph, "'Azula's looking for you three' she chased us though the upper ring!"

"So, how long have you known your an air bender?" Zuko asked Ty Lee. Ty Lee and Aang had explained the enitire incident and training to Zuko, Katara, Toph, and Sokka. They all took it pretty well. Zuko had always thought Ty Lee might have air bender blood in her he hadn't realized she was actually an air bender but he accepted it pretty quickly. Katara was very surprised although thining back Ty Lee had always used the avoid and evade tactic that Bumi had said was characteristic of air benders instead of fighting fire bender style. Toph could see it in how she walked. Before she had been too unsure of herself but now she walked a lot like Aang. Sokka was ready to believe anything by that point.

"Um...three days!" answered Ty Lee smiling. As they grew closer to the city they saw something they really hadn't wanted to see. The entire outer wall was surrounded by Fir Nation troups. The only guards were Di Lee.

"Oh, no," groaned Sokka looking down, he pretty much summed up all of there thoughts.

Then it happened. The Fire Nation started pushing through and the Di Lee merely opened gates for them.

"We have to stop them!" shouted Sokka, "Ty Lee, Toph, Zuko, we'll drop you three here. Hold back as many of them as you can we'll send help from the city then Katara, Aang and myself will go into the palace and stop all of this from in there!"

"Ok, shouted Aang over his shoulder as he took Appa down, good luck guys!" he shouted as he left them on the ground.

"Good Luck twinkle toes!" Toph shouted back as Appa took off, "Let's do this," she added turning to the fire benders storming the city, "play time!"

Toph started roling earth up and sending Fire Nation troops flying. Zuko put up a wall of fire nearly surrounding the inner wall.

"Wow Zuko, that's pretty good!" commented Ty Lee as Zuko pushed the fire wall out to form doors over the open gates.

"Thanks, can you take care of the people who get through?" he asked Toph and Ty Lee.

"No problem," they both announced using there special abilities on the fire benders who easilly got through a wall of fire.

**_Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Azula..._**

"Hey I nead the attention of all able bodied earth benders!" shouted Katara as she sent an impressive show of water bending into the air as high as she could catching almost everyone in Ba Sing Se's lower ring's attention, "the Fire Nation is inside the outer ring!" shouted Katara causing a lot of the people gathered around to panic, "but you can help stop them! Aan- Avatar Aang has made a whole in the inner wall so you can get out and help defend your city! Because if you do not help the city will fall. The Di Lee have joined up with the Fire Nation, you are the cities last line of defense!" with her final words most of the people gathered around ran for the whole to join Zuko, Toph, and Ty Lee who were having a hard time with all of the fire benders who were breaking through and the Di Lee who were tunneling under.

"Come on!" shouted Sokka, "Let's break into the palace...again!"

They flew Appa to the same place the'd stopped last time and broke through fighting past Di Lee until they reached the throne room where Azula had the Earth King prisoner.

"Well hello, greated Azula as she saw the three enter the room and she stepped in front of her prisoner, "three on one, it's a shame the odds are so bad...for YOU!"

The four faught until eventually Aang was able to pin Azula to the back wall.

"Come on we have to go stop the generals from leaving!" called Aang as he ran out to where the generals had there troops assembled.

"General!" shouted Katara, "The Fire Nation is in the outer wall! Zuko, Ty Lee, and Toph are trying to hold them off but they need help, and a lot of it."

The Generals sent there troops out to stop the invation and some went and arested Azula. When Zuko, Toph and Ty Lee were relieved all six of them took off and flew off into the sun set.

"Hey Zuko, what did you decide on...what I asked you earlier?" asked Katara smiling at Zuko.

"Hey avatar, you want to learn how to fire bend proporly?" asked Zuko as an answere to Katara's question.

"Alright!" exclaimed Zuko.

"I'll see you again uncle," whispered Zuko looking over his shoulder.

"We'll come back to see your uncle with your mom on Appa as well, until then he'll be protected by the Earth King himself, after all you are both legal aliens," whispered Katara leaning closer to Zuko who took her and as they both watched the city fade into the distance.

**_Author's Note:_**

Yes I know the ending was a piece of poop but I really neaded to get this up please rate and comment love you all!


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